M'sia Inc cautiously restarts and 9 news from yesterday

KINI ROUNDUP | Here are key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

1. With the beginning of the conditional movement control order, malls are slowly coming to life, some eateries experiment with allowing dine-in customers, but much uncertainty still lingers. Many Malaysians also make a beeline for pawn shops.

2. This comes as some state governments impose additional restrictions on the conditional MCO or even postpone it, which some economists say is prudent because a rushed reopening of the economy could lead to a spike in Covid-19 cases and greater losses.

3. Umno leaders said the fragmented responses from state governments to the conditional MCO shows Azmin Ali’s weak leadership as international trade and industry minister, while Azmin warned that industry players could sue state governments for refusing to allow them to reopen their businesses.

4. Malaysia recorded 55 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, which includes buildings where the enhanced movement control order had just been lifted and a new cluster in Kuching. The 10km limit on travel has also been lifted, though most interstate travel is still banned.

5. Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said wearing facemasks is not compulsory but the people are strongly encouraged to do so while in public or crowded places. Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said it will be mandatory for all public transport users.

6. Top opposition party leaders have urged the government to hold a two-week sitting of the Dewan Rakyat, instead of just one day. Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang has also kicked off an online petition for a two-week sitting focused on the Covid-19 pandemic.

7. Umno supreme council member Abdul Rahman Dahlan said the party is open to all options on its future relations with Perikatan Nasional.

8. PKR has suspended 285 of its members and sacked 348 others, including PKR Women’s chief Haniza Mohamed Talha (Pandan), former Youth deputy chief Dr Afif Bahardin (Permatang Pauh), central leadership council member Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin (Subang) and Sabah Women's chief Rahimah Majid (Kudat).

9. An unemployed person supposedly seeking shelter from the rain has been fined RM2,500 for trespassing a surau and violating the movement control order.

10. Journalists’ groups have condemned the police investigation against a South China Morning Post journalist over her report on immigration raids against undocumented migrants.